Big picture: 'God hates signs' - gay rights protesters' placards

Big picture: 'God hates signs' - gay rights protesters' placards

There are two ways to get your placard noticed at a gay rights protest: be cute or be funny

Ahead of the Guardian Weekend magazine gay issue, out 21 April, we pay tribute to the best gay rights protesting placards. On Saturday, look out for lesbian Staceyann Chin on the joy of turning a straight woman, Alan Carr paying tribute to the Queen, Evan Davies on the gay Tory phenomenon and the man who tried to 'cure' homosexuality

If you're both – witness Mr 'Would-you-rather-I-marry-your-daughter?' – then you've basically struck gold. But if all else fails, being a bit silly works: 'Gay is the new black' doesn't go for the jugular, but it will make you smile

The best are those signs that hijack anti-gay rights protesters’ own demonstrations. The most effective way to belittle a stoney-faced extremist holding a sign saying, 'God Hates Fags' is to stand next to him with a large grin and T-shirts reading: 'He's gay'

Pro-gay marriage protests is just one sub-genre of placard to be found online – visit about.com’s
political humour section, or
happyplace.com for more. But the gay rights movement seems to have cornered the market in wit and flair. My favourite: the sublime 'Attention heterosexuals: we want to be miserable too'. Who can’t relate to that?